Last year, approximately 24% of the companion animals taken in by the SPCA Albrecht Center were surrendered by their owner.
Reasons vary, but the core reason is the same: lifestyle change. Whether it’s discovering you’re expecting a baby, getting laid off of your job, having financial issues or making a big move, you may suddenly find yourself surrendering your pet to a shelter.
Luckily, there is now an abundance of resources that can save your pet from the stress of being sent to a shelter, while saving the shelters from overcrowding. Before calling your local shelter, we ask you to take the time to explore Adopt-A-Pet’s ‘Rehoming’ feature, or other alternatives to rehoming, and use your local shelter as a last resort.
REHOMING ALTERNATIVES
- Reach out to family and friends to rehome. Finding a home with someone that your pet has already been around rather than putting them in a shelter is undoubtedly less stressful for your pet.
- Use a website like Adopt-A-Pet to ‘Rehome’ (www.rehome.adoptapet.com). You can upload your pet’s information and create an application to screen potential adopters and find the best-fit home for your companion.
- Create a flyer or newspaper ad for your pet to find a new home. Be sure to meet with any interested adopters and get to know them and see if they are the right fit. NEVER list your pet as ‘FREE to a good home.’ Persons potentially looking to harm animals or use them for dog fighting look for free animals. Rather, set an ‘adoption fee’ for you personal pet.
Reach out to breed specific or local rescue groups and see if they have room to take in your pet. Again, the environment of a rescue group will likely be less stressful.
If all else fails, reach out to your local shelter to discuss surrendering. To ensure your pet does not have to wait long for adoption, please be sure all vaccinations are up to date and your pet is spayed/neutered.